You guessed it! I have been making fresh pasta all week and, of course, love it. However, I will spare everyone the pain of having to listen to yet another person wax lyrical about the taste of fresh pasta and that if you have never tried it you don't know what you're missing. It's really no surprise. Pasta like almost everything else is better when made by hand and from fresh indgredients!
In trying to get my pasta right, I have read many recipes this week and everyone mentions how superior it is to dried or even store bought "fresh pasta". However, what they almost all fail to mention is the necessary process of kneading the dough for anything between 6 - 12 minutes. For that crucial step I needed to search the Internet for dozens of user comments and suggestions.
My first attempt at the pasta, saw me barely caress the dough with my palm for fear of over glutinating the mixture. A definite no-no in the pastry kitchen. I was much more agressive with my second and third attempts and found the results better. It was astonishing how quickly the dough transformed under my fingers at about the 7th minute. Suddenly the hard, unyielding mass, became smooth, shiny and had exactly the right amount of give (elasticity) to produce perfectly "al dente" when boiled for a few minutes.
I still have a few questions on this process, namely, do different types of pasta (e.g. ravioli) need different kneading times?
2 cups of plain flour
1 teaspoon of salt
3 eggs
1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup of water (on hand if needed)
1. On a clean work surface or in a large bowl, mix flour and salt together.
2. Form a well in the center of flour. Add eggs and oil into well. With a fork gradually combine wet ingredients with dry. Don't whisk eggs with fork as you don't want to incorporate air into the dough. If the dough appears dry, add some water until it's soft and pliable, but not wet and sticky.
3. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and, using the heal of your hand, knead for at least 7 minutes. When finished, wrap in palstic wrap and allow the dough to relax in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
4. Divide dough evenly into 6 pieces. Pass one peice at a time through the pasta machine's rollers at their widest setting. Then on each pass thereafter, on progresisvely narrower settings until you have a long, wide, blemish free strip of pasta.
5. My machine has 6 width settings. The thinest (#6) is to be used for raviolis with lighter fillings such as ricotta. Settting number 5 for raviolis with a heavier meat filling, linguine and fettucine. Setting number 4 should be reserved for spaghetti.
6. Place these wide strips on a floured surface and allow to air dry for about 10 minutes. This will prevent the pasta strands from clumping together once they are passed through the shape cutters.
7. Drop the pasta in boiling salted water and cook for approximately 5 minutes or until al dente. You can add a couple of olive oil drops to the water to prevent the pasta from sticking.
My sister's Christmas present finally arrived on Friday. It wasn't her fault that it arrived 3 weeks late. She had asked me what I wanted for Christmas early in December last year and after a few denials of "I have everything", I hinted that it might be fun to add a pasta machine to my already extensive kitchen equipment stash.
Since she lives in Australia I suggested for her convenience she use Williams Sonoma's online to order my present. Pasta machines must have been the hotest gift this Christmas. There were no more in stock for Christmas delivery and my sister's order, my gift, was put on back order.
My last attempt at making pasta at home was a taste success but a total texture failure. Making the dough by hand without a machine was hard work, especially since I did not add enough liquid to the dough. I was pounding away at the hard, super elastic ball for ever. It resisted any shape I tried beating it into, returning immediately to the shape it was when it had been removed from the fridge. Hard work indeed. After an hour of "rolling" the only thing I was able to produce were beads of sweat, sore arms and a peice of rubber for pastry that I was determined would hold the beet and parmesan filling I had made earlier.
Having come this far I wasn't ready to give up. I proceeded to create the raviolis. I cut the rubber into strips, spooned beautiful mounds of alternating yellow and red beet fillings, washed the edges with egg, folded and sealed the parcels using a pastry wheel. The end result looked impressive - little yellow and red raviolis.
Lets just say that the beet fillings were tasty and worth the effort of roasting and mixing different colored beets separately. The pasta dough, on the other hand, was like eating the sole of my Campers. Joe politely ate a few with the much needed "mmm, this is tasty" but then couldn't finish and to be frank, neither could I. I feared that more than 3 of those puppies in my stomach would have me tossing and turning in pain in the middle of the night.
With the exception of the electic motor (and who really needs that?), the pasta machine came with all the attachments, spaghetti, linguini, fettucine, and of course the ravioli maker. In time I can't wait to try each variation out, but tonight I have some ricotta and spinach just begging to be wrapped inside fresh, soft pliable pasta and cooked until al dente.
This is my grandmother's recipe for making Sfinci or Italian doughnuts. Just like any fried food, they are delicious. Sfinci are a regional sweet, originiating in the south of Italy (Sicily) and are typically served for the Festa di San Giuseppe on the 19th March.
My grandmother isn't very religious, despite coming from a small Sicilian town called Militello (province of Catania), so I doubt she made Sfinci for San Giuseppe. However, she did make Sfinci every year on Good Friday (the Friday before Easter Sunday). Probably due more to the proximity of March to Easter holidays than any pious responsibilities.
Good Friday is a public holiday in Australia and marks the beginning of the Easter celebrations. For Italians its also starts a 3 day eating marathon. Friday evenings would see my whole extended family (some 25 people) eating dinner at my grandmother's house.
With the help of her daughters she would cook all day, preparing lasagne, roasted meats, vegetables, salads and sweets, which included her sfinci. Since there was no school I was often helping out, or rather lurking around, trying to lick spoons and bowls.
I am sure everyone came over just for those little doughnuts which we would all eat the moment they came out of the hot oil. While similar to Zeppole I much prefer Sfinci. Sfinci are smaller, lighter and coated with cinnamon sugar which doesn't form a soggy paste like the powdered versions of zeppole you see in New York.
1/2 liter milk
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon superfine sugar (plus extra for coating)
2 teaspoons cinnamon (plus extra for coating)
self rising flour
vegetable oil for deep frying
1. Heat milk until warm and add to large mixing bowl.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed while adding, salt, sugar and cinnamon. Continue beating and slowly add flour, one tablespoon at a time. Stop adding flour when mixture thickens and becomes the consistency of porridge or normal cake batter.
3. Cover bowl and let stand for 30 - 60 minutes in a warm place.
4. When ready to fry, heat oil to 350oF.
5. Have a small bowl of water close by to wet fingers and prevent the mixture sticking. Using a tablespoon scoop mixture on spoon and scrape into hot oil with finger. In other words, drop small dollops of mixture into oil. The dough should float to the top and expand to form small balls. Be extremely careful not to allow water to drip into the oil or otherwise splatter oil on yourself.
6. Once the bottom of the sfinci are browned underneath, use a wide slotted spoon to turn them over. Remove when browned evenly (about 30 seconds each side).
7. Drain on paper towels and immediately toss in a bowl of superfine sugar and extra cinnamon. Serve immediately.
Note
I have seen recipes for sfinci that use yeast instead of self rising flour and eggs to richen the dough. I haven't tried these alternatives, but would be interested in the outcomes of those that have.
Lately I have been fascinated with tiny sweets, mini replicas of traditional desserts. They are a huge hit with guests who appreciate the delicate work involved while allowing them to try a variety of tastes rather than committing to just one.
It should be noted that smaller doesn't necessarily mean less effort or better results. In fact I found the contrary to be true. Smaller products, need more time to produce, require patience, attention to detail and practice.
These bite size peppermint meringues are the first in this series of mini treats. I will post more recipes once I have the opportunity to repeat their results and guarenteed success.
2 egg whites
pinch of salt
1/2 cup of superfine sugar
1/4 teaspoon peppermint essence
1. Preheat oven to 175oF
2. Beat egg whites with salt in a clean dry stainless steel bowl using an electric beater on high speed until stiff peaks form.
3. While still beating, gradually add sugar a tablespoon at a time until the egg whites are very stiff and glossy. Depending on the size of the eggs used, you may not need the entire 1/2 cup of sugar. Stop adding sugar when it no longer dissolves in the mixture. See note below.
4. Fold in peppermint essence when the mixture has taken as much sugar as it can and is still stiff.
5. Spoon mixture into a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe 1 inch rosettes 1 inch part on a silpat or parchment line cookie sheet.
6. Bake undisturbed in oven for 1 1/2 hours. Turn oven off and allow to cool inside with door closed. After about 1 hour meringues should be dry and white.
7. Store meringues in an air-tight container in a cool dry place where they will last for a week or more.
Notes
During the beating process, occassionally pinch a small amount of egg white mixture between your fingers. The mixture should be smooth and silky without the feel of sugar grains between your fingers. Only add more sugar when the existing sugar has completely dissolved. This is important otherwise the meringue's surface will be grainy surface instead of smooth.
You can replace the peppermint essense with any flavoring you like. Vanilla, rose oil, or even a few drops of espresso would work well.
Nougat is one of those things that you never have to make at home. But for exactly that reason it is extremely satisfying to reproduce, if not better, the quality of store bought nougat in your own kitchen. Since nougat is simply candied sugar it has a long shelf life. This is ideal for making ahead of time when you have the whim, and serving it on a special occasion or when you want to feel fancy.
Given the impressive results it's suprising this recipe only takes about 45 minutes (plus chilling time) to produce.
2 cups superfine sugar
1 cup liquid glucose or corn syrup*
1/2 cup honey
2 egg whites
1 stick of butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups of unsalted shelled pistachios (or other unsalted nut)
1 1/2 cup of dried cherries (or other dried fruit)
Rice Paper
1. Place sugar, glucose, honey and pinch of salt in a heavy saucepan with 1/4 cup of water. Dissolve sugar over low heat and bring to boil without stirring. Cook until sugar reaches hard-ball stage (approximately 250-265F).
2. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, being careful not to over beat. With mixer still running, in a thin, steady stream pour a quarter of the syrup down the side of the bowl and continue beating for another 5 minutes. The mixture will become thick, smooth and glossy. At this point its color will change to a light brown.
3. Return remaining syrup to heat and cook without stirring until syrup reaches hard-crack stage (300-310F). Working quickly, with motor running, pour remaining syrup down the side of the bowl in a thin, steady stream. Continue beating until mixture is very thick.
4. Cut butter into peices and gradually add to mixture. Once combined, stir in vanilla. With motor on slow add the nuts and dried fruit, mixing until well combined.
5. Spoon mixture into rice paper lined tins (8inx12in) or baking tray. With wet hands smooth surface and top with more rice paper. Press nougat firmly, ensuring it spreads evenly within mold. With weights on top, cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until firm.
6. Turn nougat onto chopping board and with a sharp knife (a bread knife works well) cut into desired shapes. Wrap individual peices in rice paper, cellophane or waxed paper and store in refrigerator. Nougat will keep like this for at least a month. Bring nougat to room temperature before serving.
Notes
Corn syrup is a form of liquid glucose made from cornstarch and the two are pretty much interchangeble. Since they are liquids they don't crystallize easily and are prefect for making candies and icings.
You will know you have over beaten the egg whites when the egg white's surface goes from smooth to lumpy and starts returning to liquid in the bottom of the bowl.
Try altering the flavor of the nougat by using types of honey or even flavored water (e.g. rose). You will be amazed at how much better this nougat tastes over commercial products.
